The present invention relates generally to furniture. The present invention relates more particularly, though not exclusively, to a folding portable table having a storage shelf.
There have been a number of folding and portable tables in existence for a number of years. For example, one type of folding table described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,661,100 has a table surface, four support legs, and a central leg brace attached to the support legs by sleeves which slide up and down the legs such that the central leg brace can be raised up to the table surface and the legs can be folded under the table surface for storage. Another type of foldable table described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,833,177 has rods that extend between the legs to support a lower shelf. A third type described in U.S. Pat. No. 830,532 is a convertible table with a table top vertically adjustable by means of holes in the table top and sleeves on the bottom of the table top through which the legs slide up and down. A fourth type described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,938,632 is a table with vertically adjustable upper and lower table tops supported by tubes and rods which surround and slide up and down support legs which can be folded with the table tops for storage. There are many other types of tables variously including a table surface and folding legs, and a table with upper and lower table surfaces supported between the legs.
Currently available folding tables that have an upper table surface and a lower table surface include a cumbersome mechanism for raising the lower table surface to the upper table surface, such as a sleeve surrounding the legs. This sleeve surrounding the legs can hinder their movement or require additional mechanisms to facilitate the opening and closing of the table legs. Thus there is a need for a table where the leg-folding mechanism does not hinder movement of the legs.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a foldable portable table that has an upper table surface, folding legs, and a lower table surface supported between the legs and which allows the lower table surface to be raised up to the upper table surface such that the legs can be folded under the upper table surface, with little or no hindrance of the movement of the legs. It is another object of the present invention to provide such a table that be sturdy enough to be used as a bench by two adult persons simultaneously; yet lightweight, compact and simple enough to be handled by one person without assistance of another person. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a table at a relatively low cost.
The present invention is a folding portable table having an upper table surface, four folding support legs each having a lengthwise groove formed in a side of the leg facing the space between the legs, and a lower table surface supported by four pins each protruding from the lower table surface into each of the grooves in the legs. The grooves are tapered from top to bottom so that when the lower table surface is in the lowered position, the grooves releasably frictionally bind the pins to strengthen the table. Each pin slides up and down in its groove simultaneously with the other pins such that the lower table surface can be easily raised up adjacent to the upper table surface. The legs can then be folded under the upper table surface for transport and storage of the table.